"Growing pains": clinical and behavioral correlates in a community sample

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Child Psychology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Growing pains are common in children, but their underlying mechanisms and associated factors remain incompletely understood.
• Previous research has not consistently identified specific behavioral or temperamental profiles linked to growing pains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the behavioral and temperamental characteristics of children experiencing "growing pains" as reported by their parents.
• To compare these characteristics with those of children without reported pains within a community cohort.

Main Methods:

• A community-based cohort study involving 1605 children.
• Parents of 183 children reporting "pain in arms, legs, or joints" in the past 12 months were compared to a control group.
• Data collection included parental reports on pain characteristics and child behavior.

Main Results:

• Children with growing pains experienced deep-seated, vague, and predominantly lower limb pain.
• Parental reports indicated these children were more likely to have recurrent abdominal pain, negative mood, aggression, anxiety, and hyperactivity.
• No significant differences were found in teacher ratings of behavior, temperament, social skills, or academic achievement.

Conclusions:

• Parental ratings suggest children with growing pains exhibit different temperamental and behavioral profiles compared to peers without pain.
• These findings highlight a potential psychosocial contribution to growing pains, similar to other pain syndromes.
• The discrepancy between parental and teacher reports underscores the importance of multiple perspectives in assessing childhood pain.